INTERNATIONAL ZALANDO EMPLOYEE GUIDE

I N T E R N AT I O N A L
ZALANDO
E M PLOY E E GU I DE
Working and living in the capital of Germany
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER ONE
GET GOING IN
GERMANY
W O R K I N G ​I N G E R M A N Y
INSURANCE
08 BEFORE COMING TO GERMANY
18 SO CI A L S ECU R IT Y
0 9 W H O D O ES N OT N E E D A V I S A?
18 LI A BILIT Y IN SU R A N CE
09 WORK PERMITS
19 MOTOR VEHICLE INSUR A NCE
10 FOREIGNERS’ OFFICE (AUSL ÄNDERBEHÖRDE )
19 HOUSEHOLD INSUR A NCE
20 ACCIDENT INSURANCE
20 RETIREMENT BENEFITS
G U I D E L I N E S F O R A S U C C E S S F U L S TA R T
20 HOW TO PURCHASE AN INSURANCE POLICY
2 0 T H E M O S T I M P O R TA N T I N S U R A N C E T E R M S
11 R E G I S T E R AT T H E B Ü R G E R A M T
12 A P P L I C AT I O N F O R A ‘ L O H N S T E U E R - I D ’ ( TA X I D )
12 O PENIN G YO U R BA N K ACC O U N T
12 R E G I S T E R F O R H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E
R E L O C AT I O N E X P E N S E S
2 3 D E D U C T I B L E R E L O C AT I O N E X P E N S E S
24 NEED HELP?
H E A L T H — M E D I C A L C A R E I N G E R M A N Y
13 H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E
14 P U B L I C H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E
FI N D I N G A N A PA RTM E NT
14 P R I VAT E H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E
26 SEARCH VIA INTERNET
15 W H AT I S A H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E C A R D ?
26 HOUSING OFFICES
15 V I S I T IN G YO U R PH YS I CI A N
26 FU R NI S H ED R O O M S A N D A PA R T MEN T S
15 W H AT I F YO U N E E D A P H YS I C I A N A F T E R H O U R S ?
27 LITTLE HELPERS
16 THE COST OF A N OFFICE VISIT
16 M E D I C AT I O N
16 I F YO U A R E A D M I T T E D T O H O S P I TA L
16 W H AT T O D O I N C A S E O F E M E R G E N CY?
R E N T A L C O N T R A C T S & R E N T
17 VA C C I N AT I O N S A N D P R E V E N TAT I V E C A R E
2 9 L E N G T H O F R E N TA L C O N T R A C T
17 D E N T I S T S
2 9 PA R T I E S T O T H E R E N TA L C O N T R A C T
17 M E D I C A L C A R E I N B E R L I N
29 RENT
3 0 M O R E D E TA I L S
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO
GET GOING IN
GERMANY
BERLIN – A PLACE TO BE
BERLIN BLOGS
35 ABOUT BERLIN
53 OTHER SIDES OF BERLIN
37 LIVING IN BERLIN’S DISTRICTS – ‘KIEZE’
38 MITTE
38 FRIEDRICHSHAIN-KREUZBERG
3 9 PR ENZL AU ER BERG A N D PA N KOW
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GERMANS
40 NEUKÖLLN
5 4 S T. P E T E R A N D T H E ‘ W E T T E R F R O S C H ’
41 T E M P E L H O F - S C H Ö N E B E R G
5 5 ‘ TAT O R T ’
41 C H A R LOT T E N B U R G - W I L M E R S D O R F
5 5 ‘ S C H O R L E ’, ‘ R A D L E R ’ A N D 7 Y E A R S O F B A D S E X
5 5 O Z A P F T I S – ‘ O K T O B E R F E S T ’
55 BEER
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N I N T H E C I T Y
56 WE ARE HUNGRY
43 PUBLIC TRANSPORT
5 7 B R U T A L H O N E S T Y – N I C E S O M E T I M E S
43 RIDING YOUR BICYCLE
57 PA R T Y I S FO R A L L AG ES
56 FOR THE L A DIES – D ON’T BR IN G A MIL LI O N PA IR S O F HIG H H EEL S
57 MORE FUNNY STUFF ON GERMANS
G O I N G O U T S H O P P I N G E AT I N G
45 NIGHTLIFE
W H E N YO U W O R K AT Z A L A N D O
45 BARS
58 FUN FACTS ON Z AL ANDO
46 DANCING
59 ‘HELLO ZAL ANDO!’
46 FOOD
59 READ ON: OUR BLOGS
47 COFFEE
59 MORE ON ZAL ANDO
48 SHOPPING
49 URBAN STYLE
49 WOMEN’S FAVORITES
50 MEN’S BEST
50 DESIGNERS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER ONE
GET GOING IN
GERMANY
I n o r d e r to h ave a s m o ot h s t a r t i n G e r m a ny t h e r e’s a few
administrative and practical things you’ll need to organize. Find out
what you’ll have to deal with to get things star ted here.
WORKING IN GERMANY
WORKING IN GERMANY
WORKING ​
IN GERMANY
B e f o r e y o u c o m e t o G e r m a n y, t h e r e i s a c o u p l e o f t h i n g s y o u
should take care of. Find out what you need to deal
with regarding visa and work permit and where you find help
for these matters.
on the need for a visa for your country and
further information on visa requirements
can be found on the website of the German
Foreign Affairs Office:
www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Generally, a visa only entitles you to entry
and residence of 90 days initially. If you are
planning a longer stay, you must apply for a
residence permit shortly after arrival. This
also applies to nationals from Group B. For
EU dependents, a ‘freedom of movement’
permit, instead of the residence permit, can
be obtained relatively easily.
WHO DOES NOT NEED A
V I S A?
Group A: Citizens from the Member States
of the European Union (EU), Switzerland,
Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein do not
require a visa.
Group B: Nationals from Australia, Israel,
Japan, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the USA do not require an
entry visa.
BEFORE COMING TO
GERMANY
In many cases, a visa is needed for entering Germany. You can obtain this from the
German embassy in your own country, but
allow approximately two to three months
08
WORK PERMITS
for the application process. Visas for family members travelling with you should be
applied for at the same time. The addresses of
the relevant German Consulates with details
In order to get a job, an immigrant who
is not a citizen of the EU needs either a
residence permit (‘Aufenthaltserlaubnis’)
which entitles him or her to have a job or a
settlement permit (‘Niederlassungser-
laubnis’). The residence permit must state
specifically that employment is allowed.
The following procedure applies in principle
for all types of employment.
In the case of many immigrants, the right
to engage in gainful employment will be
granted immediately solely on the basis of
the regulations in the Residence Law (‘Aufenthaltsgesetz‘) when the residence permit is
issued. In these cases the Federal Employment Agency is not consulted.
With other immigrants, a residence permit
will be issued on the basis of the general
requirements for residence in Germany,
without, however, the right to work being
granted automatically at that time. In these
cases the Foreigners’ Office obtains the
consent of the Federal Employment Agency
to grant permission to engage in gainful
employment. In principle, the Federal
Employment Agency only consents if
there is a vacancy for the immigrant that
cannot be filled by a German, an EU citizen or other preferred employable person (non-EU foreigner who has been
living in Germany for a fairly long time).
EU citizens can enter Germany for jobseeking purposes. EU citizens and their
family dependents (if also citizens of an EU
member state) will be issued a certificate
of their right to reside in Germany. EU
citizens qualify for holding a job and do not
need special approval from the Federal
9
WORKING IN GERMANY
Employment Agency. There are restrictions
in regard to EU citizens from Central and
Eastern Europe.
FOREIGNERS’ OFFICE
(AUSLÄNDERBEHÖRDE)
Department IV – Foreigners’ Office, Immigration Unit – of the State Office for
Public Affairs is responsible for all questions which pertain to the rights of you, a
foreigner, to reside in Germany.
WORKING IN GERMANY
GUIDELINES FOR A
S U C C E S S F U L S TA R T
What needs to be done after you arrive in Germany?
The following information will help you to ensure
that ever y thing will go smoothly during your first days
i n G e r m a n y.
The address is:
Landesamt für Bürger- und
Ordnungsangelegenheiten
Ausländerbehörde // Referat Zuwanderung
Friedrich- Krause- Ufer 24
13353 Berlin
Visiting Hours:
Monday 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tuesday 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Telephone Hours:
Wednesday 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Friday 9 a.m. – 12 noon
Service telephone for general
information:
90269- 4000
To avoid long waits when visiting, please
make an appointment during telephone
hours.
10
R E G I S T E R AT T H E
BÜRGERAMT
You must register with the Residents’ Registration Office (Bürgeramt) within one
week of your arrival in Germany, so that
your new place of residence can be regis-
tered. This must be done in person. Please
note that which Bürgeramt is responsible
for you depends on in which district of Berlin you are living. If you bring your rental
11
G U I D E L I N E S F O R A S U C C E S S F U L S TA R T
H E A LT H – M E D I C A L C A R E I N G E R M A N Y
agreement and your passport you will get
a proof of registration immediately. Find
out where the Bürgeramt of your district is
located on the city of Berlin’s official website:
www.berlin.de/en
Bürgeramt. For students there sometimes
are special conditions.
A P P L I C AT I O N F O R
A ‘LOHNSTEUER-ID’
( TA X I D )
You can choose your own German health
insurance and register online easily. You can
choose whatever insurance you like. Your
membership certificate (this document confirms your membership in a health insurance
company to your employer) will be sent to
you via post. The HR department will need
this document. Once you are a member with
a German health insurance provider (when
you get a letter with your membership number), you will need to contact them and ask
for your social security number. Within 4-6
weeks you will receive it by mail. HR just
needs this number and later a copy of the
registration document.
Register at the Finanzamt (revenue office) in
order to receive your income tax. Please note
that which Finanzamt is responsible for you
depends on in which district of Berlin you
are living. Within 7 days the Finanzamt will
receive the information about your registration from Bürgeramt. For the application
you will need your Anmeldung (registration
form) from the Bürgeramt and your passport.
Find out where the Finanzamt of your district is located on the city of Berlin’s official
website: www.berlin.de/en
Important: Without your tax ID, HR won’t
be able to pay your salary.
OPENING YOUR BANK
ACCOUNT
Your salary must be deposited by your
employer into a German bank account. You
can choose whatever bank you like.
Don’t forget to bring your passport and proof
of registration that you received from the
12
R E G I S T E R F O R H E A LT H
INSURANCE
H E A LT H —
MEDICAL CARE
IN GERMANY
Health insurance is mandator y for all employees in Germany
and you won’t be able to star t working without it.
H e r e’s w h e r e yo u’l l f i n d m o r e i n fo r m a t i o n a b o u t w h a t i s
covered by your health insurance and some basic
i n f o o n p h y s i c i a n s a n d m e d i c a l t r e a t m e n t i n G e r m a n y.
A T T E N T I O N : The deadline for payroll
is the 11th of every month. If you hand in
all documents by this date, we are able to
pay your salary at the end of that month. If
documents are submitted after the 11th of the
month we will not be able to process your pay
by the end of the month. The salary will then
be paid along with your next month’s salary
at the end of the following month.
Find out more details about health insurance
in the next chapter and do not hesitate to
talk to HR if you have any insurance related
questions.
H E A LT H I N S U R A N C E
As an employee, you have to have health
insurance – either statutory health insurance
or private health insurance. If you become ill,
health insurance covers the cost of medical
13
H E A LT H – M E D I C A L C A R E I N G E R M A N Y
treatment. The statutory health insurance
system includes the following benefits:
·· Outpatient medical treatment, for
example in a physician’s office
·· Dental care
·· Medication, remedies and medical
··
··
devices
I npatient medical treatment, for
example in a hospital medically
necessary rehabilitation
S ervices during pregnancy and
childbirth
If your spouse is not employed, he or she
may be covered under your statutory health
insurance policy at no extra charge to you.
The same holds true for your children.
Moreover, your health insurance policy automatically includes long-term care insurance.
Your long-term care insurance is activated if,
for example, you need nursing care because
of a serious illness that prevents you from
caring for yourself.
PUBLIC
H E A LT H
INSURANCE
All salaried workers in Germany whose gross
monthly income is under a certain amount
(EUR 4,350 since 2011, subject to change) are
publicly insured. The percentage they owe to
the state-run healthcare system is taken out
of their monthly pay. In 2011, this percent-
14
H E A LT H – M E D I C A L C A R E I N G E R M A N Y
age was raised to 15.5% of the employee’s
monthly salary. 7.3% is paid by the employer
percentages might change slightly.
Applying for public health insurance is relatively stress free. Search for German health
insurances online, compare their services
and apply online. You can also call up a
regional office and set up an appointment.
Make sure to bring your passport and your
residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) with
you when you go to the appointment. Usually,
your German employer’s HR office will take
care of this for you.
P R I V AT E H E A LT H
INSURANCE
Private health insurance is quite a bit more
expensive than public healthcare. Only
those earning more than € 52,200 (amount
might change slightly) per year and the selfemployed are eligible for private health insurance. The application process for this is a bit
more complicated. You may be subjected to
medical tests, required to answer a questionnaire concerning your medical history, and
submit proof of your income.
Unlike public healthcare, you have to go
through the selection and application process without your employer’s help. The benefits of private health insurance mostly do
not lie in the quality of medical standards,
but in the speed of care. In other words, you
will not be left waiting for hours but will be
attended to quickly, and some doctors only
take patients with private insurance.
Important: Once privately insured, it’s not
possible to go back to public health insurance in Germany !
W H AT I S A H E A LT H
INSURANCE CARD?
As soon as you become a member of a statutory health insurance fund, you will receive
an electronic health insurance card documenting your membership. Make sure to send
your insurance a photo of yours, otherwise
they won’t issue your card. The card includes
an electronic record of your name, date of
birth, address, policy number and insurance status. It must be submitted whenever
you see your physician so that your health
insurance can be billed for treatment. Your
health insurance card is valid in all 28 EU
countries as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland. This means that if
you become ill in one of these countries while
on holiday or a business trip, your health
insurance card gives you access to medical
treatment there. Before travelling abroad, it
is a good idea to contact your health insurance to find out what to do in an emergency.
VISITING YOUR
PHYSICIAN
In Germany, you may choose your own physician. In most cases your first visit is to your
general practitioner. If necessary, he or she
will refer you to a specialist or arrange for
you to be admitted to a hospital. To find the
right physician, consult the following:
·· The website of your town or city
www.berlin.de/en
·· The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Weisse
Liste (White List) www.weisse-liste.de
·· The website of your state’s Kassenärzt- liche Vereinigung (Association of
Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, KV: www.kvberlin.de
When you have found a physician, call his
or her office and make an appointment; this
avoids a long wait. In urgent cases, however,
you can walk in without an appointment.
W H AT I F YO U
NEED A PHYSICIAN
AFTER HOURS?
You need medical care, but your physician’s
office is closed? In that case, dial 116 117 for
an on-call physician; the number is valid
throughout Germany. The call is free from
land lines and mobile phones, and is available
to all patients with statutory or private health
insurance. In case of an emergency – a lifethreatening situation – you should instead
dial the emergency number 112 which is the
German fire service that will send you an
ambulance.
15
H E A LT H – M E D I C A L C A R E I N G E R M A N Y
H E A LT H – M E D I C A L C A R E I N G E R M A N Y
THE COST OF AN
OFFICE VISIT
pital, physician or pharmacy in your area.
Many newspapers publish daily listings of the
physicians and pharmacies that are on call.
As a patient covered by statutory health
insurance, you will have almost no out-of
pocket expenses. Rather than billing you,
your physician will submit a bill directly to
your health insurance.
VA C C I N AT I O N S A N D
P R E V E N TAT I V E C A R E
M E D I C AT I O N
Medications are available only in pharmacies,
which display a large red sign with letter A
(for Apotheke). There are two ways to obtain
medications. The first is through your physician: The physician writes a prescription,
which you take to the pharmacy, where you
receive your medication. For prescription
medicines you are only expected to make
a co-payment; the rest is covered by your
health insurance. The second way is to go
directly to the pharmacy, where you can find
over-the-counter medications (not requiring
a prescription). In this case you must pay
the full amount.
IF YOU ARE
ADMITTED
T O H O S P I TA L
Germany has public hospitals, private clinics and charitable hospitals run by church
relief organizations; many larger cities have
university hospitals as well. As a rule, your
general practitioner will arrange to have you
16
admitted to hospital; only in an emergency
you should go there directly. Your health
insurance will normally cover the costs of
your hospital stay. Since hospitalization can
be very expensive, however, it is a good idea
to determine in advance whether all of your
treatment costs are covered.
W H AT T O D O I N C A S E
OF EMERGENCY?
Of course, it’s much better not to get sick.
Vaccinations and health screenings can
prevent many illnesses. Vaccinations record
shows the diseases against which you have
been vaccinated. Various screenings are also
available, some of them required by law. For
infants and children, there are the U1 to U9
screenings, which help to identify developmental disorders and illnesses at an early
stage so that they can be treated. There are
numerous screenings for adults as well, for
skin cancer and dental problems, for example.
Statutory health insurances providers often
offer a bonus if you are regularly screened.
DENTISTS
In case of emergency, you have two alternatives:
1. In life-threatening or other serious situations, or if you are uncertain, dial 112, which
connects you with the emergency medical
service. The number is valid throughout Germany. An ambulance will arrive within 15
minutes. The emergency number is toll-free.
2. If the situation is not quite as serious, you
can go directly to a hospital A&E department.
A&E departments are open day and night.
Dental work in Germany can be quite expensive, and you often need to present a cost
estimate to your insurance prior to getting
the treatment. It is also not always guaranteed that your insurance company deems
the work necessary, as they strictly differentiate between cosmetic work and medical
treatment.
At the weekend, on holidays or during the
night, on-call help is available from a hos-
The percentage that your insurance, be it
private or public, will pay depends on the
coverage you have selected, as dental work is
not included in standard medical insurance.
However, quite a few Germans take out additional insurance cover for dental treatment
with a private health insurance company.
MEDICAL CARE IN
BERLIN
Berlin has an highly developed health infrastructure with a dense network of hospitals,
clinics, physician practices, emergency services and some specialist institutions. You
will find a broad range of medical care on
offer here in the city.
You can find suitable institutions or specialists for medical care in the Berlin internet
health guide of the ‘Gesundheits-Informations-Service GmbH’. At www.gesundheitberlin.de you will find a comprehensive
collection of addresses for health services:
pharmacies, physicians, dentists, hospitals,
ambulances and health trade as well as medical practitioners like optometrists, hearing
device specialists, orthopaedics, maternity
units and midwives.
See also the telephone directory of business listings ‘Gelbe Seiten’ (yellow pages)
available at www.gelbeseiten.de.
Here you can look for specialists who
speak more than one language: www.aerzteberlin.de.
17
INSURANCE
INSURANCE
INSURANCE
U n f o r t u n a t e l y, i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o p r e v e n t a l l a c c i d e n t s .
H o w e v e r, t h e r e a r e m a n y w a y s o f p r o t e c t i n g
yourself against their repercussions. In the following
section, we describe the most impor tant kinds of insurance
a n d e x p l a i n h o w t o o b t a i n t h e s e i n G e r m a n y.
ing, a liability insurance can be useful. Many
Germans regard liability insurance as the
most useful and important of the optional
types of insurances. In the event of a claim,
private liability insurance covers the cost of
damages up to a specified amount. It also
covers your spouse and children. Liability
coverage starts at under € 100 per year.
MOTOR VEHICLE
INSURANCE
Teilkasko insurance generally pays for the
following damage to your vehicle.
·· Theft or robbery
·· Fire or explosion
·· Storms, hail, lightning, flooding
·· Collisions with certain animals
(such as deer)
·· Broken glass
·· Short-circuit damage to cables
Vollkasko insurance also covers any damage
resulting from an accident – even if you were
at fault – as well as damage from vandalism.
This is particularly advisable if your vehicle
is new, since the cost of damage would be
especially high.
Motor vehicle liability insurance: If you own
a car or motorcycle, you are required to have
motor vehicle liability insurance. You are
not allowed to register your vehicle without
it. This insurance pays for personal injury,
material damage and property loss if you Among other things, the cost of comprehencause an accident or injure someone while sive insurance depends on your premium,
driving your car. The cost of the insurance – which is the amount you are required to pay
the insurance premium – may vary widely. It out of pocket. For Teilkasko insurance, it is
depends on such factors as the type of vehicle generally about € 150; for Vollkasko insur(car or motorcycle), its age and the number ance between € 300 and € 500.
of years you have been driving without an
accident.
SOCIAL SECURITY
LIABILITY INSURANCE
If you have a job that requires social security contributions, you are insured under
the social security system, which covers the
major risks in life: illness, unemployment,
accidents and the need for long-term care.
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye –
your child kicks a ball through your neighbor’s window, or you break a vase while visiting a friend. In Germany, you are liable in
such cases. In other words, you need to pay
for damage. To prevent this from happen-
18
Comprehensive insurance: Motor vehicle
liability insurance covers damages to the
opposing party. You may also take out a comprehensive insurance policy to cover your
own vehicle. A distinction is made between
‘Teilkasko’ (comprehensive insurance) and
‘Vollkasko’ (comprehensive insurance plus
collision coverage).
HOUSEHOLD
INSURANCE
This insurance covers the contents of your
house or flat. For example, it pays for the
replacement if your furniture or clothing
are stolen or damaged by fire, storm or water.
The cost depends on the size of your home,
among other things. It is particularly worthwhile if you keep valuable items in your home.
19
INSURANCE
INSURANCE
ACCIDENT
INSURANCE
HOW TO PURCHASE AN
INSURANCE POLICY
You are automatically a member of the
statutory accident insurance through your
employer. This means that you are covered
in the event of an accident in the workplace
or on your way to work. However, most accidents happen when you are not at work, and
this is where private accident insurance can
help. While medical treatment is covered by
statutory health insurance, private accident
insurance can help mitigate financial consequences. Most importantly, private accident
insurance covers you if you become disabled
as a result of an accident and are no longer
able to work. The insurance company pays
disability benefits. You can purchase coverage for types of rehabilitation that are not
paid for by statutory health insurance.
To insure yourself against risk, you should
purchase an insurance policy. The policy
stipulates the following:
RETIREMENT
BENEFITS
Germany’s statutory pension insurance is the
most important and strongest component
of our old-age security system. To maintain
your existing standard of living, however, it
is advisable to have an additional retirement
plan. Since 2002, the government has subsidized such supplementary pensions. The
principle is both simple and effective: If you
supplement your statutory pension, whether
privately or at your workplace, the government will help – by providing subsidies and
tax contribution exemptions.
20
·· Who or what is being insured?
·· What is the insured event? In other words, in what case will the insurance company pay?
·· W hat is the maximum amount that
will be paid (amount of insurance)?
Before purchasing a policy, make sure to do
plenty of research. Talk to your friends and
colleagues. You can also consult a professional insurance consultant, but if you do
so, make sure that the consultant provides
impartial advice. Insurance consultants at
the consumer protection agency can offer
further information.
When you have chosen an insurance company, make an appointment for a personal
meeting, where you can talk about the details
of the policy. It is a good idea to ‘sleep on
it’ before signing a contract. If you are not
entirely fluent in German, ask a friend or
colleague to go with you to the meeting.
T H E M O S T I M P O R TA N T
INSURANCE TERMS
·· Pflichtversicherung (Compulsory
insurance): Insurance required by law.
If you have a car, this includes motor
vehicle liability insurance.
·· Selbstbeteiligung / Selbstbehalt
(Premium): This is the amount that you
are required to pay out of pocket if an
insured event occurs. It may be a fixed
amount or a percentage.
·· Versicherer (Insurance provider): The
company from which you purchase your
insurance policy.
·· Versicherungsnehmer (Policy holder):
The individual who purchases a policy
from the insurance company, normally
you or a member of your family.
·· Versicherungsfall (Insured event): The
event that triggers payment from your
insurance company (for example a car
accident in the case of comprehensive
motor vehicle insurance or illness in case
of health insurance).
·· Versicherungsprämie / Versicherungsbeitrag (Insurance premium or insurance
contribution):
The onetime or regular amount that you
pay to your insurance company.
The insurance policy determines the
amount and when it is to be paid.
·· Versicherungsleistung (Insurance
benefit): The benefit you receive from the
insurance company if the insured event
occurs. This may be a monetary
amount or a replacement in kind. The
latter term means that the damaged
item is replaced, for example: A broken
window is replaced with a new one. The
maximum insurance benefit is defined
in the insurance policy.
21
R E L O C AT I O N E X P E N S E S
R E L O C AT I O N
EXPENSES
Moving to a new countr y can be quite expensive. Find out
which costs can be reimbursed or are deductible
f r o m y o u r t a x a b l e i n c o m e a f t e r y o u ’ v e m o v e d t o G e r m a n y.
R E L O C AT I O N E X P E N S E S
DEDUCTIBLE
R E L O C AT I O N E X P E N S E S
You can deduct relocation expenses from
your taxable income in your yearly German
income tax return. R
elocation expenses are
work-related if:
·· The distance between home and work-
place is significantly reduced. This is the
case if daily travelling time in total is
reduced by at least one hour.
·· A new home is required because the
employee is working for the first time.
·· The relocation is caused by working for
a new employer or taking a new profession or job.
·· The relocation is in the predominant interest of the employer or
·· A work-related, so called double
household is set-up or terminated.
This goes for travelling costs of the employee,
his or her children and other individuals
who belong to the household.
E xpenses in connection with rented homes:
·· A flat or home if the rental contract
cannot legally be cancelled before the
relocation takes place or
·· The new flat, if this flat had to be rented
before the relocation date.
Other relocation expenses:
·· Broker fees for procuring a rented flat
or home (this does not apply for the
purchase of an own home)
·· Additional costs for educating children,
if connected to the change of address
In detail, this includes the following
expenses:
Transport of household goods:
·· A ll expenses related to the transpor-
tation are deductible. This also applies
for substantiated payments to privately
supported individuals
Travelling costs:
·· Costs of transport (flight, train, car etc.)
·· Extra expenses for food and drink (flat
rate amounts / lump sums)
·· Costs of accommodation
·· Other travel-related expenses
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23
R E L O C AT I O N E X P E N S E S
NEED HELP?
If you want assistance with your relocation
check out this site:
www.berlin-relocator.de/english.html
Here you’ll find options for your individual
relocation package offered by a GermanAmerican who has lived in several countries
and has been assisting families to make their
move to Berlin for over 14 years.
FIN D IN G A N A PA R T MEN T
FINDING
AN
A PA R T M E N T
In Berlin you will find that a large number of apar tments
of various sizes are available in all districts and price
ranges. Compared to other European metropolises, rents
remain reasonably affordable.
As for the deduction of costs from your yearly
German income tax return, you might want
to contact a “Steuerberater” / tax adviser in
Berlin to get the income tax return done.
24
25
FIN D IN G A N A PA R T MEN T
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T S & R E N T
www.gimmo.de
www.planethome.de/de/index.jsp
www.immobilienscout24.de
HOUSING
OFFICES
SEARCH VIA
INTERNET
The websites of most of Berlin’s daily newspapers have apartment offers online:
Berliner Morgenpost
www.morgenpost.de/anzeigenmaerkte/
Berliner Zeitung
http:immobilien.bz-berlin.de/
Tagesspiegel
www.tagesspiegel.immowelt.de
Zitty
http:kleinanzeigen.zitty.de/
Wohnungen
In addition, there’s a lot of popular sites
for your apartment search:
http:www.berlin.de/special/
immobilien-und-wohnen/suche
www.lieblingsmieter.de
www.immowelt.de
www.wohnungsbaugenossenschaften.de
www.wohnungssuche-berlin.net
www.studenten-wohnung.de
26
When looking for an apartment, you might
also like to enquire in the housing offices
in the districts that interest you (‘Wohnungsamt’, located in each district office).
They offer information on ‘Wohnungsgesellschaften’, housing associations that are run
by the state and provide apartments for rent.
FURNISHED ROOMS
A N D A PA R TM E NT S
As in many other cities, you’ll find many
people renting out single rooms or their
whole apartment for an extended period of
time. This is a good option if you want to find
a place to stay for a while and search for an
apartment at your own pace or if you are only
staying in Berlin for a certain period of time.
Check out these sites to find a furnished
room or apartment:
www.airbnb.de
www.wimdu.de
www.homecompany.de
www.wg-gesucht.de
LITTLE HELPERS
The following abbreviations are helpful when
looking for accommodation:
2-Zi-Whg2-Zimmer-Wohnung /
(2-room apartment)
Abstellk.Abstellkammer /
(storeroom)
Blk / Balk. Balkon / balcony
DG Dachgeschoss / (under the
roof / attic rooms)
D Diele / (hall)
DU Dusche / (shower)
EBKEinbauküche / (fitted
kitchen)
EFH Einfamilienhaus / (detached house)
EG Erdgeschoss / (ground floor)
HK Heizkosten / (heating costs)
Kaution Deposit
Keine zusätzl.
Prov. Keine zusätzliche Provision
(No additional commission)
KM Kaltmiete / (rent excl.
utilities costs such as heating, cable TV, cleaning of
communal areas, waste
removal etc.)
MM Monatsmiete /(monthly
rent)
NK / NBK Nebenkosten / (additional
costs such as heating, cable
TV, cleaning of shared
areas, waste removal etc.)
NR Nichtraucher /
(non-smoker)
OG Obergeschoss / (floor)
RH Reihenhaus / (terraced
house)
Stellpl. Stellplatz / (parking space)
TG Tiefgarage / (underground
parking)
warm / WM Warmmiete / (rent incl.
all utilities costs such as
heating, cable TV, cleaning
of communal areas, waste
removal etc.)
Wfl. Wohnfläche / (living space)
WG Wohngemeinschaft /
(shared accommodation)
WK Wohnküche / (open-plan
kitchen)
ZH Zentralheizung / (central
heating)
27
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T S & R E N T
R E N TA L
CONTRACTS
& RENT
W h e n r e n t i n g a n a p a r t m e n t i n G e r m a n y, i t ’s g o o d t o h a v e
some key facts about rental contracts and rent in mind. Find out
what you need to know before signing your contract.
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T S & R E N T
LENGTH OF
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T
Here’s some of the providers in Berlin:
Vattenfall www.vattenfall.de
There are short-term and long-term contracts.
Be aware of temporary rental contracts (Zeitmietvertrag) where the landlord states that
they will use or renovate the flat once the
lease has ended as the tenant will have no
rights once the contract is up.
Lekker Strom www.lekker-energie.de
Eprimo www.eprimo.de
EVD www.ev-d.de
Stromio www.stromio.de
Yello Strom www.yellostrom.de
PA R TI E S TO TH E
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T
Each person who wants to move into the flat
should be included in the rental contract. The
landlord and the tenant both need to sign it
and the original copy should be given to you.
RENT
Rent - ‘Miete’ or ‘Monatsmiete’ in German –
is the amount paid by the tenant (‘Mieter’)
to the landlord (‘Vermieter’) every month for
use of the apartment (‘Netto-Kaltmiete’, net
cold rent). There are also side costs included
for items like garbage disposal, street and
house cleaning, heating and water supply;
they make up approximately 25% of the rent.
Electricity is usually charged separately by
an electricity supplier of your choice, with
which you must register yourself. You might
have a choice of providers. When you move
in, contact the providers to agree on the contract and arrange for payment.
28
To find out which provider suits you best and
what’s the right rate for you, you might want
to use an online calculator: www.berlin.de/
special/finanzen-und-recht/rechner
All costs in addition to the rent are paid at
a monthly flat rate which is an estimate of
the average monthly costs.
Accounts are settled at the end of an accounting year. If you get a refund, the monthly
rate for the following year will be reduced;
if you have to pay an additional amount, the
monthly rate will be increased.
The additional costs that are paid through
the landlord every month together with the
rent are called ‘Nebenkosten’ and the total
amount paid to the landlord every month is
called ‘Warmmiete’.
Deposit: It is common to pay a deposit (one
to maximum three months’ rent plus value
added tax (VAT) to cover any repairs for
damage in the apartment caused by the tenant when he/she leaves. This sum is deposited
in a special savings account. Arrange this
together with the landlord or obtain a receipt
29
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T S & R E N T
R E N TA L C O N T R A C T S & R E N T
for the savings account. When you leave, the
deposit will be returned to you with interest.
However, any costs for repairs or renovation
will be deducted. The exact rules and regulations on this should be included in the rental
contract which you will receive for signature
from the agent or landlord.
The rental contract or house rules can entail
certain obligations, such as path clearance in
winter when it snows or periodic responsibility for cleaning the stairwell. You should
check whether pets are allowed. The general
rule is that noise should be kept to a minimum between 22:00 and 7:00, so as not to
disturb your neighbors. If you have a party
or invite guests, it is common courtesy to
let your neighbors know in advance that
there may be a little more noise on the day
in question.
M O R E D E TA I L S
If you want to read more on how to find an
apartment in Berlin as an expat, read this
excellent guide on ‘The Needle blog’:
www.needleberlin.com/moving-to-berlinthe-needle-guide-2012-edition
30
31
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO
LIVING IN
BERLIN
‘Berlin is a pulsing, exciting city with so many varied and
distinctive neighborhoods, iconic histor y all around,
g r e a t f o o d a t a l l l e v e l s a n d f r o m e v e r y c o r n e r o f t h e w o r l d .’
s a i d a m e m b e r o f R . E . M . s o m e ye a r s a g o. H e r e’s a q u i c k
g u i d e to B e r l i n’s m o s t exc i t i n g n e i g h b o r h o o d s .
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
BERLIN –
A PL ACE
TO BE
Pr o u d to p r e s e n t: B e r l i n’s m o s t c e n t r a l a n d exc i t i n g
neighborhoods. Get a quick over view and some
insights that might help you to choose your place to
s t a y a n d f i n d o u t a b o u t f a v o r i t e s p o t s i n t h e c i t y.
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
ABOUT BERLIN
Berlin is the capital of Germany and one of the
most fascinating, liberal and cosmopolitan
cities in the world. Berlin is the largest city in
Germany and has a population of 4.5 million
within its metropolitan area and 3.5 million
within city limits. Almost 15% of Berlin’s residents are people holding foreign passports –
a remarkable figure for any city. Berlin has
residents from almost every country in the
world – with more than 190 countries represented in the city’s (registered) population.
derplatz, to the ultra-modern glass and steel
structures at Potsdamer Platz.
Because of its tumultuous history, Berlin
remains a city with many distinctive neighborhoods.
As for the living cost, Berlin is still one of the
‘cheaper’ cosmopolitan cities. The link below
will also help you understand the expense
of the city: www.numbeo.com
Berlin is best known for its historical associations as the German capital, internationalism
and tolerance, lively nightlife, its many cafés,
clubs, and bars, street art, and numerous
museums, palaces, and other sites of historic
interest. Berlin’s architecture is quite varied.
Although badly damaged in the final years of
World War II and split in two during the Cold
War, Berlin has reconstructed itself greatly,
especially with the reunification push after
the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
From 1948 to 1990 the city of Berlin was
divided into two parts: West Berlin and East
Berlin. It is now possible to see representatives of many different historic periods in a
short time within the city center, from a few
surviving medieval buildings near AlexanC l o c k w i s e f r o m l e f t : C h e c k p o i n t C h a r l y, P e r g a m o n m u s e u m , O b e r b a u m b r ü c k e
34
35
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
MOLLSTRASSE (BMO)
Technology
Customer Care international
TA M A R A - DA N Z- S T R A S S E ( B T D )
Management Board
Brand Marketing
PRENZLAUER BERG/
PANKOW
Sales
Infrastructure
People&Organization
Corporate Communication
NEUE BAHNHOFSTRASSE (BNB)
Finance
Category Management
LegalIP
zLabels
MITTE
Customer Care DACH
FRIEDRICHSHAIN/
KREUZBERG
POSTBAHNHOF (BPB)
CHARLOTTENBURG
WILMERSDORF
SCHUCKERTHÖFE (BSH)
Content Creation
Zalando Lounge
TEMPELHOFSCHÖNEBERG
NEUKÖLLN
LIVING IN BERLIN’S
DISTRICTS – ‘KIEZE’
OUTLET (BOK)
Neighborhoods are often called Kieze by
Berliners, which refers to their immediate
neighborhood with all the necessary infrastructure and social networks.
Berlin has 10 boroughs. Before the Greater
Berlin Act was passed in 1920, some areas,
such as Charlottenburg or Rixdorf, were
independent towns or villages. Because of
36
this, a lot of Kieze have kept their own unique
character. However, things are constantly
changing and every week there seems to be
a new Trendbezirk or hip area. People are
always moving, looking for something new
whilst at the same time trying to get away
from the rising rents. We give a run-through
of some Berlin boroughs that are central and
relatively inexpensive.
37
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
MITTE
Mitte – the ‘middle’ of Berlin. Nikolaiviertel
is the historic heart of the city. It is situated
next to Alexanderplatz, which together with
the Unter den Linden boulevard, Museum
Island, Hackescher Markt and Friedrichstraße, makes up the ‘old’ part of Mitte,
whilst the government quarter, Potsdamer
Platz and Leipziger Platz have all been built
up over the last 25 years.
When Berliners speak of Mitte, they are usually referring to the smaller locality and not
to the larger borough, which also consists
of the localities of Tiergarten, Hansaviertel,
Wedding, Moabit and Gesundbrunnen.
Families prefer the Spandauer Vorstadt
area, which is made up of Torstraße and
Hackescher Markt, Rosenthaler Vorstadt
and the Fischerinsel area between the river
and Getraudenstraße. Artists and creative
types prefer the southern parts of Moabit and
Wedding. Only the very wealthy can afford
to live near Gendarmenmarkt.
Over the past few years gentrification has
arrived in Leopoldplatz in Wedding and a
number of bars and cafes have opened their
doors. Further north, near the Afrikanische
Straße underground station, it is still possible
to find something cheap.
FRIEDRICHSHAINKREUZBERG
East and West, Germans and non-Germans,
family life and singles – FriedrichshainKreuzberg unites them all.
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, the smallest of
all the Berlin boroughs in terms of area, was
formed in 2001 by merging the former East
Berlin borough of Friedrichshain and the
former West Berlin borough of Kreuzberg,
an area known for its green politics and
counterculture traditions.
During World War II Friedrichshain was
one of the most badly damaged parts of
Berlin and the western part of the borough
is dominated by East German tower blocks.
Once solely the preserve of older people,
they have now been renovated and their low
rents, good location and amazing views
are making them an attractive option for
younger people.
A popular area is the area around OttoBraun-Straße and Mollstraße, known as
Barnim-Kiez, with its many playgrounds and
its proximity to Volkspark Friedrichshain.
38
T H E Y S AY
THE CITY
OF BERLIN
IS
A C T U A L LY
MADE OUT
OF 100
VILLAGES.
The area around Boxhagener Platz, with its
pre-WWII flats that have been renovated, is
particularly attractive to young people but
it can be pricy.
An insider’s tip is Samariterviertel, the area
north of Samariterstraße underground station as well as the area around Rudolf-Platz,
which has seen a lot of interesting development recently.
Kreuzberg still has a lot of reasonably priced
flats, many of which have been renovated,
as well as a lot of industry and handicraft
businesses.
The south-western part of Kreuzberg is interesting with its mix of young and old, German
and international, families and singletons.
The streets are full of independent shops and
bars and the river Spree and Treptower Park
are not far away – green and urban comes
together here. This area is also known for its
high unemployment.
PRENZLAUER BERG AND
PA N KOW
Pankow is also a district that is defined
by contrasts: From the tranquil streets of
Pankow to the densely populated area that
borders Mitte. There are no tall buildings
here, just church towers and old flats from
the late 19th century.
Prenzlauer Berg is known across Germany
and a lot of young people and families from
39
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
B E R L I N – A P L A C E T O B E
In the right ‘Kiez’ it might happen you live next to your favorite café.
different countries move here. Kollwitzplatz
in the summer could be mistaken for the
south of France or Italy.
Modernisation and gentrification have led
to rising rents and many long-time residents
have left the Kiez, and the character of the
area has completely changed. The area is perfect for families and raising children.
Weißensee is quiet and green, for example
the area known as the Composers‘ Quarter,
east of Berliner Allee.
Französisch-Buchholz und Pankow are also
green and have a lot of parks. It is further
away from the centre, but this also means
that the rents are lower.
40
NEUKÖLLN
Neukölln is characterised by having one of
the highest percentages of immigrants in
Berlin: 321,000 people from 160 different
countries. The northern part of Neukölln is
very densely populated whereas the southern
part is more spread out and green. Reuterkiez
has become very popular with students and
artists in recent years, tempted by its cafes,
galleries and cheap rents.
The area between Karl-Marx-Straße and Sonnenallee is rather unique in Berlin. Known as
Rixdorf, the area is famous for its old buildings situated around Richardplatz which is
reminiscent of a village green but in the
middle of a capital city. Neukölln covers a
large area and the rents can vary greatly:
now that Tempelhof airport has closed, the
rents there are increasing and in the southern part, near the new city airport, rents are
also going up.
and Mariendorf and the Aviators’ Quarter,
named after the former Tempelhof airport,
is known for its quiet side streets (such as
Manfred-von-Richthofen-Straße).
TEMPELHOFSCHÖNEBERG
CHARLOTTENBURGWILMERSDORF
Although they are both part of the same
borough, Tempelhof and Schöneberg are
very different places – Tempelhof is more
for those who prefer peace and quiet whereas
Schöneberg is full of bars and clubs.
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is, and always
has been, the focal point of West Berlin – from
affordable council housing in Siemensstadt
to grand villas in Dahlem. The beating
heart of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf is the
world famous Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s
answer to Oxford Street or or the ChampsÉlysées. Culture vultures will feel at home
here, with the opera, numerous theatres
(Schaubühne) and museums (Sammlung
Berggruen) all based here.
The nicest – but also most sought-after and
most expensive – area in Schöneberg is the
‘Bayerische Viertel’, situated between Vikoria-Louise-Platz and Bayerischer Platz. Artists, creative types, freelancers and DINKs
(Dual Income No Kids) tend to settle down
here. If you don’t have contacts then it’s
almost impossible to find a place here.
More promising is Friedenau, further south.
The area around Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz
with its pre-WWII flats and shops is particularly nice.
Charlottenburg is primarily a middle-class
area but a lot of students and creative types
live here, while Wilmersdorf is more conservative.
The area around Nollendorfplatz is Berlin’s
gay quarter. Golzstraße, Eisenacher Straße
and Akazienstraß are international and creative, whereas Kurfürstenstraße is known
as being one of Berlin’s red light districts.
Tempelhof is quieter: A lot of families
tend to settle in Marienfelde, Lichtenrade
41
P U B L I C T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
IN THE CITY
T h e r e’s h a r d l y a ny c a p i t a l i n Eu r o p e w i t h a b e t te r
public transpor t network than Berlin. No matter what time
of d ayo r n i g h t , t h e r e’s a l way s a t r a i n o r b u s to d r i ve
you home. Alternatively you can get yourself a bike and
e x p l o r e t h e c i t y t h i s w a y.
P U B L I C T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
You can easily reach most destinations in
Berlin by public transport. As a Zalando
employee you get your monthly ticket at a
reduced fare – just talk to HR. If you use
public transportation frequently, this will
save you a lot of money.
The Berlin transport authority, the BVG,
operates bus, U-Bahn (underground) and
tram networks, and a few ferry services on
the outlying lakes. The S-Bahn (overground
railway) is run by its own authority, but services are integrated within the same threezone tariff system. Zone A covers central
Berlin, zone B extends out to the edge of
the suburbs and zone C stretches into Brandenburg.
The BVG website (www.bvg.de) has a wealth
of information (in English) on city transport,
and there’s usually someone who speaks English at the 24-hour BVG Call Center (194 49).
The S-Bahn has its own website at www.sbahn-berlin.de
Also very helpful: The Android and iOS App
‘Öffi’ for Berlin that checks out journeys, connections and schedules of all trains, busses
and trams for you.
over the past decade has been cyclist traffic,
thanks mostly to the city’s remarkable bike
lane system.
A bicycle is extremely practical for individual
excursions. Most routes are easily navigable by bike, and it is a great way to see the
environment. Bikes are available for rent at
numerous bike rentals and stores. In many
parts of the city and in the suburbs, there is
an extensive cycle path network.
THE YELLOW
‘UBAHN’ OF
BERLIN
IS FAMOUS
IN THE WHOLE
WORLD.
RIDING YOUR BICYCLE
Of note though is Berlin’s riding (cycling)
culture, as more than 10% of the city’s traffic
42
43
G O I N G O U T, S H O P P I N G , E AT I N G
GOING OUT
SHOPPING
E AT I N G
Have fun in Berlin with our recommendations for par tying,
eating and – last not least – shopping!
We’ve also collected our favorite blogs on Berlin –
enjoy!
GOING OUT
NIGHTLIFE
Berlin is proud of its nightlife culture, and
with good reason. The partygoers of the 90s
who danced in factories, warehouses and
old subway shafts may have moved on, but
there is a new scene in Mitte, Friedrichshain,
Kreuzberg and the old west that is running
from one opening to the next.
Booming techno beats and a jazzy transverse flute, mirrored dance halls with red
silk curtains, small cellar clubs with trashy
decorations: Berlin has a bars and clubs to
suit every taste and budget.
The capital has the largest electro scene in the
world, but there are clubs catering to lovers of
all types of music. Or if you just like to tango,
jive or swing hit the traditional Balhäuse
(Ballrooms) of Berlin, where couples have
been swaying for over 100 years.
BARS
Amano Bar
Auguststraße 45
10119 Berlin
Especially nice during the summer time with
its roof top bar.
Bar 1000
Schiffbauerdamm 11
10117 Berlin
Hidden spot. They mix good drinks over here
and have praise from the jazz scene.
44
Bon Bon Bar
Torstraße 133
10119 Berlin
A favorite of Berlin’s fashion scene. Chic and
simple.
Trust
Torstraße 72
10119 Berlin
Spirits are sold in bottles 0.2 or 0.5 so you
either make lots of new friends or you just
get drunk ;-)
Chapel Bar
Sonntagstraße 30
10245 Berlin
Tell the bar tender what you like and you’ll
get a cocktail that’s designed for you.
Gin & Tonic Bar
Friedrichstraße 113
10117 Berlin
For all the Gin Tonic addicts this bar with
its edgy style is the right place to be.
Tier
Weserstraße 42
12045 Berlin
‘Tier’ meaning ‘animal’ in German has a
cool vibe with frosted glass windows, but
it’s the hip and friendly guests which make
Tier so special.
Odessa Bar
Torstraße 89
10119 Berlin
Trendy artsy, typical Berlin-Mitte.
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S H O P P I N G , E AT I N G
S H O P P I N G , E AT I N G
DANCING
FOOD
Weekend
Alexanderstraße 7
10178 Berlin
Pretty nice club with a gorgeous view over
Berlin, located right in the center of the city.
Lokal
Linienstraße 160
10115 Berlin
A charming eatery serving contemporary
German food based on fantastic, locally
sourced ingredients served by amazing staff.
Berghain
Am Wriezener Bahnhof
10243 Berlin
The world’s most revered techno club.
Prince Charles
Prinzenstraße 85 F
10969 Berlin
Located in a former swimming-pool, the Prince
Charles is a mixconcept of bar and club with
manicured electro sound.
Ritter Butzke
Ritterstraße 26
10969 Berlin
The complex of buildings at Moritz place has
become a legend. Although now above board,
it gained it’s cred as an underground, unofficial party locale. Great partying guaranteed.
46
Schneeweiß
Simplonstraße 16
10245 Berlin
This minimally designed restaurant, reminiscent of a winter wonderland, serves Austrian
inspired cuisine exceptionally well.
Hartmanns
Fichtestraße 31
10967 Berlin
Really nice French food in Kreuzberg.
Yam Yam
Alte Schönhauser Straße 6
10119 Berlin
Excellent Korean cuisine in Mitte. This place
is usually crowded so you might have to wait
a little. But the dishes are worth it.
YOU’LL
FIND
FOOD
FROM ALL
OVER THE
WORLD IN
B E R L I N –
A N D AT
LOW
PRICES.
Enjoy excellent coffee and cake at Five Elephant
A New York style bar and steakhouse, serving
undoubtedly Berlin’s best steaks and burgers
as well as other stuff – all made fresh daily.
COFFEE
Katz Orange
Bergstraße 22
10115 Berlin
Regional, delicious food in such a cool building – an old brewery.
Five Elephant
Reichenberger Straße 101 & Budapester
Straße 4
10999 & 10787 Berlin
American and Austrian team Kris and Sophie
are famous city-wide for their talents: He’s
the coffee king, she’s the baking queen (the
cheesecake is possibly the best in the world).
The Bird
Am Falkplatz 5
10437 Berlin
Croissanterie
Pannierstraße 56
12047 Berlin
Some say it’s here where you get the best
croissants in town. What you get for sure is
a really good café au lait and some Parisian
flair sitting outside and watching people go
by.
The Barn
Auguststraße 58 / Schönhauser Allee 8
10119 Berlin
The Barn is one of the leading specialty coffee
roasters in Germany and has two coffee shops
in Berlin. The coffee is fair trade and roasted
on-site. It’s best enjoyed unadulterated.
Tres Cabezas
Boxhagener Straße 74
10245 Berlin
Another location where you can have one of
the bestcoffees in town.
47
G O I N G O U T, S H O P P I N G , E AT I N G
SHOPPING
MOST WANTED
S H O P P I N G L O C AT I O N S
URBAN STYLE
Zalando Showroom near Hackescher Markt
The own-label coffee “Tres cabezas” can also
be purchased here.
19 grams
Schlesische Straße 38
10997 Berlin
Cleverly derived its name from the weight
of a single shot of coffee, and aside from
a small selection of sweets, that’s virtually
all there is on offer. More than enough: The
coffee here is a highlight for coffee-lovers.
SHOPPING
The Berlin shopping streets, shopping-centers and markets offer all you can imagine.
The boulevard and window shopping areas
at ‘Kurfürstendamm’, the new ‘Stadtquart-
48
ier am Potsdamer Platz’ and the traditional
‘Friedrichstraße’ down to ‘Spandauer Vorstadt’
are very popular. Fans of designer clothes or
trendy second hand fashion will find what they
want in scene-boutiques in ‘Prenzlauer Berg’
or all around the ‘Hackescher Markt’ in the
city district ‘Mitte’. At Brunnenstraße, you’ll
also find our Zalando Show Room where editors, bloggers and stylists can get an impression of the best styles of the current season.
A stroll over to the Berlin weekly markets
or flea markets, art markets and jumble
sale is always an interesting experience. As
for flea markets, the one in Mauerpark (in
Prenzlauer Berg) and at Tiergarten, Straße des
17. Juni, are the biggest and most renowned.
Voo Store Berlin
Oranienstraße 24
10999 Berlin
www.vooberlin.com/berlin-store
Voo Store is located in central Kreuzberg, in
a backyard on Oranienstrasse, on a 300m 2
floor on the premises of a former locksmith
shop. Rather than focusing on short-lived
trends, Voo will present products that have
the potential to become prized possessions for
life. Voo is operating as a platform for music,
design, fashion and art. The creators of the
store are hosting regular exhibitions, readings,
concerts and showcases of new works from
various designers and artists.
Muschi Kreuzberg
Oranienstr. 185
10999 Berlin
www.muschikreuzberg.de
A brand called ‘Muschi Kreuzberg’ (‘pussy
Kreuzberg’) simply can’t be ignored. This
label of an advertising agency lives off slogans like ‘I add your mother’, ‘Sucht und
Ordnung’ (= addiction and order, in German
referring to ‘Zucht und Ordnung’ meaning
law and order) or ‘Exzess All Areas’. They’ve
become cultic on shirts, bags and stickers
and you can buy these in the inhouse flagship store or at Soma, Aus Berlin or Fumanchuh.
Firmament
Linienstrasse 40
10119 Berlin
Firmament offers a premium range of clothes
from the US, Japan and Europe. Here, street
style meets formal and it’s the place where
the stylish «Mitte Boys» buy their clothes.
Vektor Berlin
Gormannstraße 23
10119 Berlin
Characterized by urban extravagance,
Vektor offers a mix of men’s, women’s and
unisex fashion. Flowing fabrics with eyecatching prints.
WOME N’S FAVORITES
And Other Stories
Kurfürstendamm 234
10719 Berlin
The new concept from H&M! Besides its avantgarde shaped styles, the store also offers other
brands such as shoes from Nike or cosmetics
by Dr. Bronner’s. Trendsetters love &Other
Stories for its sophisticated shoe department.
49
SHOPPING
Broke & Schön
Krossenerstr 9-10
10245 Berlin
Imagine yourself wearing the latest trends
without having to spend a fortune. A nice
thought, right? It’s perfectly possible if you
shop at ‘Broke & Schön’. The interior is lovingly decorated and full of unique and fashionable clothing, bags, accessories and shoes
for girls.
Prachtmädchen
Wühlischstraße 28
10245 Berlin
Watch out this store is addictive . That applies
to you too guys! You’ll find a huge range
of affordable fashion of well-known labels.
MEN’S
BEST
Just for the boys berlin
Raumerstraße 28
10437 Berlin
In the past a second hand shop for premium
men’s suits. You can also find a lot of new
stuff here: Hugo Boss, Joop, Lagerfeld etc.
Soto Store
Torstrasse 72
10119 Berlin
Known as the best shop for men’s Fashion
in town, the goal for Soto has always been to
present a modern take on how a man should
dress. Soto presents a wild mix of American,
European and Asian designers.
50
SHOPPING
Mientus Flagshipstore
Wilmersdorfer Str. 73
10629 Berlin
Casual, business, sporty and dapper - this
store has all bases covered.
DESIGNERS
Kaviar Gauche
Linienstraße 44
10119 Berlin
Celebrated for an effortlessly chic aesthetic,
the label enjoys a passionate Berlin-powered
hype. The hand-made pieces are directional
yet consistently elegant working with couture
detailing and luxury fabrics. They also have
a small vintage store in Prenzlauer Berg.
Galeries Lafayettes
Friedrichstraße 76-78
10117 Berlin
A touch of Parisian chic in Berlin: Galeries
Lafayette at Friedrichstraße lets you dive into
the French flair of fashion and lifestyle. The
store a wide range of designer fashion, a big
beauty department and an excellent food
department where you can get some of the
best oysters in Berlin.
Dandy of Grotesque
Gormannstrasse 17b
10119 Berlin
At Dandy of Grotesque a sharp suit is your
weapon of choice. This up-and-coming
designer focuses on suave and dapper suits
for gentlemen, with a modern twist.
Galeries Lafayettes
Eastberlin
Alte Schönhauserstraße 34
10119 Berlin
It began with a collection of T-Shirts in 2002,
which the Labels Designer Cora Schwind
printed with an eagle: straight, plain and
almost strict, above her logo: East Berlin. As
well as her own designs the store also offers
Scandinavian brands such as Minimum and
Twist and Tango.
IchJane
Boxhagener Straße 35
10245 Berlin
Inspired by the metropolitan flair of Berlin with
its people, stories and encounters, the designer
offers a collection of casual wear including
dresses, skirts and shirts. Apart from this flagshipstore, there’s more stores all over Berlin.
Acne
Münzstraße 21
10178 Berlin
Once called Acne Jeans this label is loved by
Hipsters and Hollywood stars. In this cool
minimalistic store you can find their most
wanted skinny jeans as well as premium
shirts, dresses, suits and shoes.
Konk
Kleine Hamburgerstraße 15
10117 Berlin
Konk is a veritable stalwart of the city’s fashion scene. With a dedication to showcasing
the best up and coming designers, the store
supports local talents with cutting edge selections of men’s and women’s wear.
51
BERLIN BLOGS
BERLIN
BLOGS
There are numerous blogs offering unusual and individual
perspectives on Berlin. We’ve selected a few blog highlights
t o e x p l o r e B e r l i n i n a d i f f e r e n t w a y.
BERLIN BLOGS
OTHER SIDES
OF BERLIN
Stil in Berlin: www.stilinberlin.de
Stil in Berlin is one of the most popular and
most successful fashion blogs in Germany. As
well as street style posts, shopping tips and
photos of Berlin itself there are also articles
and interviews with influential Berliners:
bloggers, designers, artists. The ‘At Home’
section is particularly interesting, where Stil
in Berlin interviews people in the comfort
of their own home.
Thursday and includes tips about Berlin – a
bar that has just opened up, the best pizza
or a Berlin fashion label. It is written in the
style of your best mate and is well worth a
read – sign up today!
Mogli Oak Berlin: www.mo-berlin.com
A blog from an expat who wants to share
his knowledge about the amazingly eclectic
and ever buzzing city of Berlin. You’ll find
recommendations on restaurants, exhibitions
and clubs as well as films and books with a
connection to Berlin.
Sugarhigh: www.sugarhigh.de
The email magazine Sugarhigh keeps you
up to date on the latest partys, new shops,
music, art and culture in Berlin. Sign up for
free and you will get a new email every day,
informing you about what’s going on in the
big city. The emails are bi-lingual (English
and German) and are extremely entertaining
Cee Cee: www.ceecee.cc
überlin: www.uberlin.co.uk
überlin is written by James, a freelance writer
and social media analyst, and Zoë, a photographer who – as soon as they figured out they
could do this stuff from anywhere with a wi-fi
connection – packed their laptops and got
the first flight from London to their favorite
city in the world: Berlin. You’ll find tips on
food, culture, events and fashion here as well
as entertaining posts on expat life in Berlin.
From Berlin, about Berlin – this is the
motto of Nina Trippel and Sven Hausherr.
They describe themselves as explorers and
world travellers, constantly on the search
for something new. And then they make a
newsletter out of it. Ceecee comes out every
52
53
ABOUT GERMANS
ABOUT GERMANS
TH I NG S YOU N E E D
TO KNOW
ABOUT GERMANS
We collected some fun facts about Germans and a few tips
to help you blend in with the locals.
and when the frog climbed it, they thought
the weather will be good. That’s why we still
talk about the ‘Wetterfrosch’ and what he’s
probably doing. If he’s sleeping or…you get
the picture.
‘ TAT O R T ’
You want to meet up with a German friend
on a Sunday evening? Good luck! Sunday
evening at 8:15 is ‘Tatort’ (crime scene) time.
The TV crime show, which has been running
since November 1970, is quite popular. Every
Sunday up to 10 million Germans watch it
and during the last years it has also become
very popular to watch it in bars together with
other fans. And as soon as the theme starts
you better keep quiet as no one will be listening to you for one hour and a half.
‘ S C H O R L E ’,
‘RADLER’ AND 7 YEARS
OF BAD SEX
S T. P E T E R A N D T H E
‘WETTERFROSCH’
Yes, it’s true, the Germans always complain
about the weather. And we blame St. Peter
or the weather frog for it. Yes, the weather
54
frog. Nowadays no one really believes that
a frog can forecast weather but in the past
they put a frog into a jar with a small ladder
The Germans love to mix drinks. If it’s
fruit juice, white wine or red wine, we do
mix it with sparkling water. This is called
‘Schorle’: ‘Saftschorle’ if mixed with juice
and ‘Weinschorle’ if mixed with wine. We
even do mix our beer with lemonade which
we call ‘Radler’ or with Coke and Orange
Fanta and call it ‘Spezi’. And if it comes to
toasting traditions there’s one really important one. While clinking glasses individually with each person you must main-
tain eye contact. If you don’t your penalty
will be seven years of bad sex.
OZAPFT IS –
‘OKTOBERFEST’
First of all, yes, the famous ‘Oktoberfest’ is
the one in Munich. But there are several other
beer festivals all over Germany which are
also a lot of fun, for example the ‘Cannstatter
Wasen’ in Stuttgart and there’s even one at
Alexanderplatz in Berlin. And yes, the ‘Oktoberfest’ is called October festival but it starts
(at least the one in Munich) in the middle of
September. And it is all about drinking beer,
dancing to German folk music and wearing Lederhosen and Dirndl. That’s the only
time in the year you’ll see Germans wearing
Lederhosen and Dirndl. If you see a German
wearing this traditional costume apart from
Oktoberfest you can be sure he or she will
be Bavarian.
BEER
Germans love beer! Water, hops, yeast,
malt – that’s all you need. The ingredients
for beer were laid down in the Germans’
favorite decree almost 500 years ago. The
beer purity regulations guarantee the high
unadulterated quality of German beer that
excludes all additives.
A 2010 report showed that Germany ranked
second in terms of per-capita beer con55
ABOUT GERMANS
sumption, behind the Czech Republic and
ahead of Austria and Ireland. Prost! Cheers!
Hefeweizen is a fermented, unfiltered, bottle
conditioned wheat beer with noticeable yeast
sediment and a cloudy appearance. They are
usually quite sweet and fruity, with a full
body.
Not strictly a German beer type, Pilsner
originated in the Bohemian city of Plzen
(or Pilsen) in the mid nineteenth century,
and is also referred to as Pils or Pilsener. The
light color of the beer results from the use of
lightly toasted malts in contrast to the darker
malts previously used in beer.
Berliner Weisse — The ‘Reinheitsgebot’ prevented any tradition of adding fruit during
the brewing process but Berliners get around
this by adding woodruff (Waldmeister) or
raspberry (Himbeere) syrup to reduce the
sharpness and acidity of the beer - in fact
you are almost certain to be asked ‘rot oder
grün’ (red or green) when ordering one.
WE ARE HUNGRY
German breakfasts are not meals, but elaborate feasts. Especially on weekends, almost
every spare centimeter of the table will be
covered in an assortment of meats, cheeses,
fruits, jams and spreads. Germans take their
time to enjoy good food and good company.
They like to meet up with family and friends
for a cup of coffee or tea and a slice of cake
56
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GERMANS
or two. They see ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ as an
institution to celebrate some ‘Gemütlichkeit’
(coziness).
Fun fact: Quark in Germany does not refer
to a concept in quantum physics but to a sort
of cheese. It is usually made from skim milk
and has the consistency of very thick yoghurt.
It is in fact made from non-processed cheese
or curd. It does not taste like much and is
used to make desserts such as cheesecakes.
FOR THE LADIES – DON’T
B R I N G A M I LLI O N PA I R S
OF HIGH HEELS
You can be sure that German ladies love
high heels. There is quite a lot of walking
to be done in Berlin and cobblestones and
stairs are everywhere. Sure, bring some
heels if you want for the office or special
nights out, but don’t expect to wear them
on a daily basis. Bring lots of cute flats
and comfy boots and you’ll be good to
go, especially in Berlin. You’ll especially
be grateful for this tip when you’ve been
dancing all night long and remembered to
just wear ballet flats.
B R U TA L H O N E S T Y –
NICE SOMETIMES
One thing that really takes some getting
used to in Germany is the abrupt and incredibly honest opinions of people who are not
afraid to tell you exactly what they think or
feel. Overall it can be amazing because you
know exactly where people stand and no one
bottles things up. It also means that people
get to the point really quickly and often it is
a logical, well-thought out point that, once
you get past the ‘oh man, did he just say that
to me?’ phase then becomes really useful.
And, you can give it right back.
PA R T Y I S FO R A LL AG E S
In fact, there are many things here not just
for the young – like cycling, leather jackets
(for better or for worse) and lots more. It’s
hard to find such a wide mixture of people
out late at night elsewhere than at a German
street festival. Kids up until 1.30am, elderly
people with walking frames groovin’ to the
music or riding their bikes down the street
without a helmet as if they don’t have a care
in the world. So, don’t be surprised if you
see some elderly ladies coming home on the
U-Bahn at 3am on Saturday…
MORE FUNNY STUFF ON
GERMANS
Liv Hambrett, an Australian writer in
Germany:
www.livhambrett.com/everything-iknow-about-germany-germans/what-iknow-about-germans/
What I know about Germans (book):
http:www.uberlin.co.uk/what-i-knowabout-germans/
57
W H E N YO U W O R K AT Z A L A N D O
W H E N YO U W O R K AT Z A L A N D O
WH E N YOU
W O R K AT
ZALANDO
Yo u d e f i n i t e l y n e e d t o k n o w t h e t u m b l r B l o g ‘ W h e n y o u w o r k
a t Z a l a n d o ’: w h e n y o u w o r k a t z a l a n d o . t u m b l r. c o m
‘HELLO ZALANDO!’
MORE ON ZALANDO
As you might have discovered when applying
there’s something unique about our careers
pages. All the pictures on the site were taken
by Zalando employees. Why? Because a company as versatile as Zalando is obviously hard
to capture. That’s where snapshots come
in! Be it a team event, decorating the office,
going out for lunch or dinner, having fun at
the end of year party, or that lovely gift your
colleague left on your desk this morning –
that’s Zalando! And it’s not only a great way
for prospective employees to see what goes
on behind the scenes, it’s also great if you’re
working at Zalando and like to see what’s
going on at the other offices and warehouses.
For more detailed info about working at
Zalando, your main contacts and tools have a
look into your ‘My Zalando Welcome Booklet’ and, of course, our intranet
intranet.zalando.net
‘Hello Zalando’ – is waiting for you to add
your Zalando memories. Just upload your
snapshot, give it a caption and click to
upload! Share your Zalando with the world.
READ ON: OUR BLOGS
Zalando’s company blog:
http:blog.zalando.de
Zalando Fashion blog:
http:modenews.zalando.de
Zalando Tech blog:
http:tech.zalando.com
FUN FACTS ON
ZALANDO
The blog was once launched by a Zalando
intern and is by now as well-known as the
intranet. There’s animated gifs on everything
concerning workaday life at Zalando – from
58
Job is job. But also fun.
‘when you pick up your Zalando package’ to
‘When you try to book a room at Mollstraße”
Your contributions are welcome!
59
PHOTOS IN THIS BOOKLET
C o v e r a n d p a g e s 4 - 5 /2 5 /3 2 - 3 3 /3 4 /3 9 :
B e rlin P a rtn e r F T B - We rb e fo to g ra fie
P a g e s 1 3 /1 6 /1 8 /4 0 /4 2 : v is itB e rlin Ko s c h e l
P a g e s 2 1 /2 2 : v is itB e rlin S c h o lv ie n
P a g e s 4 3 /5 1 : v is itB e rlin S te ffe n
P a g e 5 2 : v is itB e rlin S c h o lv ie n /v is itB e rlin
P a g e 5 4 : v is itB e rlin A d e n is